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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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the file that

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the file that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a specific file and providing additional information about it. Example: "I found the file that contains all the necessary data for the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The portions of the file that were made public make no references to the girl's disappearance.

News & Media

The New York Times

You download the file that looks legit, only to find it's screwed up and you've just wasted your time.

News & Media

TechCrunch

The value of is specific to a dataset, so it is read from the file that contains the projection data.

However, those partitions do not encompass the whole file (i.e., there are parts of the file that are not replicated).

Instead of storing the file that contains all of 1Password's data on my computer, it lives on Dropbox.

News & Media

Huffington Post

They opened a new case, as the file that was turned over between administrations is now called "not found".

News & Media

Vice

Double-click the file that was created.

Find the file that says Setup.

Navigate to the file that ends in ". exe".

Extract the file that says the font's name.

Open the file that has a file name of today's date.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "the file that", ensure the relative clause following "that" provides essential information to identify the specific file you're referring to. This helps avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using overly complex sentence structures with "the file that" when a simpler phrasing can convey the same meaning more directly. For example, instead of saying "the file that contains the data", you could say "the data file".

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

76%

Authority and reliability

4.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the file that" primarily functions as a relative clause introducing additional information about a specific file. This is evidenced by Ludwig, where the phrase is consistently used to elaborate on the characteristics or purpose of the file in question.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Wiki

30%

News & Media

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the file that" is a versatile phrase used to specify a particular file while providing additional information. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically sound and widely applicable across various contexts, from technical documentation to everyday communication. While alternatives like "the document which" or "the specified file" exist, "the file that" remains a common and effective choice. Remember to use it to add essential information for the sentence to make sense or specify the file.

FAQs

How can I use "the file that" in a sentence?

Use "the file that" to specify a particular file and provide further details. For example, "Open "the file that" contains the instructions."/

What are some alternatives to using "the file that"?

Alternatives include "the document which", "the file containing", or "the specified file", depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "the file that" and "the file which"?

"The file that" and "the file which" are often interchangeable, but "that" is generally preferred in restrictive clauses (essential information), while "which" is used in non-restrictive clauses (additional information). In practice, "that" is more common. For example, you would say "I need "the file that" has the data". In this case the data is used as an identifier of the file.

When should I use a simpler phrasing instead of "the file that"?

If the context already makes it clear which file you're referring to, a simpler phrasing like "the file" or "this file" may be sufficient and more concise. Consider if the information after 'that' is essential or simply descriptive.

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Source & Trust

76%

Authority and reliability

4.5/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: